Fruit, vegetable, and meat slicing machine.



r. HESS. FRUIT, VEGETABLE, AND MEAT SLIDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 180B.

lli E1 3140c l'Ot Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

tion of the complete machine.

UNITED STATES rArsNT OFFICE.

FRANK HESS, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

FRUIT, VEGE IABLE, AND MEAT SLIGING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application filed January 8, 1908. Serial No. 409,194.

vegetable and meat slicing machines, and it consists in the novel construction of the machine'hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawin s.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a side e eva- Fi 2 is an enlarged vertical section through t e operative parts thereof. Fig. 3 is top plan view of the hopper partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the disk 3. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view showing the catch for holding shaft 5 in position. Fi 6 is a perspective view of the follower. T ig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the knife, and upper end of shaft'5, separated.

The machine comprises a hopper 1, which is preferably cylindric,,and has an opening 1 in its bottom, beneath which is a discharge spout 1 as shown. The hopper is suported upona stand 2, which is provided beow the hopper with bearin s for vertical and horizontal shafts, as hereinafter described, and with suitable means at the bottom for attaching the stand to a support.

As shown the stand is constructed for attachment to a table top T, and has a bracket portion 2 adapted to rest upon the tabletop, and an arm 2 adapted to project under the table-top and provided with a handoperated clamping screw 2 as shown.

Arranged in the hopper 1 is a disk 3, which formsthe working bottom of the hopper, and is provided with a central depending sleeve 3 which extends down through a vertical 0 ening in the bottomof the ho er, and is slibuld li ered as at 3 to support t e disk in proper position in the ho per.

111 the disk 3 is a radial slot 3 which is preferably curved on its forward or advancin-g edge (i. e. that in thedirection of=rota tion 0 the disk); and within this slot is a removable cutter or knife 4 which corresponds in contour to the slot, and has its forward, cuttin edge, curved like the forward edge of the s ot. The knife has an angular aperture in its inner end which fits over the correspondingly shaped upper end 5 of a vertical shaft 5, and above part 5 the shaft 5 is reduced and threaded, as at 5 and a nut 5 is screwed thereon, to fasten the blade in position.

The disk 3 is recessed at center as shown at 3, so that the blade 4 can be lowered in the slot if desired until the upper surface of the blade comes flush with the upper surface of the disk. The forward curved edges of the blade 4 and slot 3 start'at one edge or side of the shaft, and extend on a convolute curve to the periphery of the disk as shown, so that the blade will make a kind of draw-cut upon the material in the hop er. The cut away portion 3 of the disk ad acent the inner end of the slot and knife allows material cut at the inner end of the blade to dro down below the disk. Any material that lbdges in the hopper below disk 3 will be swept out into the discharge spout l by a scraper-blade 3 attached to the under side of the disk.

The shaft 5 is keyed to the disk 3, as shown at 5, so that the disk must rotate with the shaft. Said shaft depends through the sleeve 3, and its lower end is supported in a cup 6, which is loosely fitted in a socket 2 in the part 2, and is provided with a laterally projecting arm 6 which is connected with a screw 7 tapped into a threaded socket 2 in part 2; said screw has a collar 7 below arm 6', and a thumb-disk 7 on its upper end by which it can be manipulated, so as to raise and lower on 6 and therefore raise or lower shaft 5 whic is supported in said cup, and thus by manipulating screw 7 the blade 4 can be raised or lowered in relation to disk 3, and the thickness of the slices cut by the machine regulated accordingly.

On arm 6 may be pivoted, by screw 7 or other suitable means, a catch 6, the free end of which is notched as shown, so that it can be moved into engagement with an annular groove 5 in shaft 5 ,so as to lock the shaft 5 to the cup, while not preventing rotation of the shaft. .The catch 6 may have a slot 6, to engage a headed pin 6 fast to arm 6, to hold down the free end of the catch when engaged with groove 5.

he disk and knife may be rotated as, follows: On sleeve 3 is a bevel gear 8, fast to the sleeve by a thumb-screw 8. This gear meshes with a larger gear 8 on a drivin shaft 8journaled in the stand 2, and operate by any suitable means, a hand crank 8 being shown in the drawings,

The material may be prevented from rotating in hopper 1, by means of a removable partition 9, which has a dove-tail flange 9 on its outer edge, engaging a dove-tail groove 1 on the inner side wall of the hopper. Said partition has a preferably cylindric enlargement of rib 9 on its inner edge which stands in axial alinement with shaft 5, and the lower end of said enlargement 9' may have a socket 9 fitting over the cylindric upper end or extension of nut 5 so as to keep the inner end of the partition in place. The rib 9 may also serve as a guide for the follower 9' which is radially slotted, as at 9" to accommodate the partition 9, and the stem 9 of the follower being also hollow and slotted so as to fit over and slide upon the enlargement or rib 9" of the partition.

The operation is simple: The follower is removed, the material to be cut placed in the hopper, the follower replaced, and the crank o erated. By manipulating screw 7 the t 'icknes's of the slices out can be regulated. When cutting round vegetables and small fruits, the partition 9 should be first put in the hopvper; but when meat, and leafy vegetables are to be cut, the partition can be removed if desired.

When it is desired to clean the machine, the thumb-screw 8 can be loosened, and the catch 6 disengaged from shaft 5; then the .disk 3, knife 4 and shaft 5 can be readily lifted out, so that every part can be easily and thoroughly cleanse Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a slicing machine, the combination of a hop r, a disk supported upon the bottom of t e hopper and having a radial slot curved on its forward edge, and a tubular shaft extending into the hopper through its bottom and connected with said disk; a second shaft extending through the tubular shaft and disk, a knife attached to the upper end of said second shaft and occupying the slot in the disk, and means for vertically adjusting the second shaft and knife relatively to the disk.

2. In a slicing machine, the combination of a be per, a disk in the hopper having a radial s 01; and provided with a depending tubular sleeve supported upon the bottom of the disk, a shaft extendin axially through the sleeve and disk, 9. kn' edetachably at tached to the upper end of said shaft and resting in the slot of the disk, means for ver ticalli adjusting the shaft and knife, a gear t; E: U a

ably attached to .thalower end of said sleeve below the hopper, and means for driving said gear.

3. The combination of a hopper, a rotatable disk therein having a slot, means for rotating the disk, a shaft extending through the disk, and a knife attached to the up er end of said shaft and loosely fitted to the s ot in the disk; with an adjustable cup in which the lower end of said shaft is stepped, a screw for adjusting said cup and thereby the shaft and knife, and means for detachably con necting the shaft with thecup so as to revent longitudinal movement of the s aft relative to the cup but permit rotation of the shaft.

4. The combination of a hopper, a rotatable disk therein having a radial slot and 8.

depending tubular sleeve stepped in the bot.-

tom of the hopper, a gear on the said sleeve below the hopper, means en aging said gear for rotating the disk, a s aft extending through the sleeve and disk, a knife attached to the upper end of; said shaft and fitted to the slot in the disk, and an adjustable cup .in which the lower end of said shaft is stepped, means for adjusting said cup verticall and means for connecting the shaft with t, e cup so as to prevent lon itudinal movement of the shaft relative to t e cup.

5. In a cutting machine, the combination of a hopper rovided with partition guides, a knife rotata hly mounted 111 said hopper, a. removable vertical partition in the ho per above the knife engaging said guides an extending from the wall to the center of the. hopper, and a follower in the hopper having a radial slot for the accommodation of the partition.

6. The combination of a ho per, a disk and cutter therein, a rotatable s aft extending into the ho er and, rejecting above the disk, 9. remova e radial y disposed partition in the hopper above the disk having a socket in its inner end to receive the 11 par and of said shaft, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a hop er, a rota table disk therein having a radia slot, means for rotating the disk, a shaft extending through the disk and rejecting above the same, a knife attached to said shaft above the disk, and means for vertically adjiusting the shaft; with a removable partition the hopper above the disk having a socket in its inner end fitted to the up er end of said plhaft, and a radially slotted follower in the 0 per.

11 testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK Witnesses Joan .M. Nansen, HENRY M. Yelena. 

